I have been using my new MacBook pro for a couple weeks. I bought it as a replacement for a 2 1/2 year old Dell Precision M65. My intent is to migrate to Mac apps for email, calendar, and the like (NOT a fan of MS Outlook), but there are a number of PC only apps I need to continue using. To that end I bought Parallels 4.0.

I have used Macs at home ever since there were Macs, so I'm not coming cold to the Mac. So I knew what I was getting into with the mail, calendar, address book, etc. I prefer an integrated app for these functions like Outlook, but Outlook is such a pig I can hardly stand to use it. Outlook is unbelievably slow and its IMAP implementation is (intentionally?) buggy.

So it's not hard to prefer the Mac suite of bundled apps. The problem is going to be in how to take things mobile. I have a Windows Mobile 5 phone which syncs (usually) with Outlook, but it has problems of its own. It's sort of ridiculous to have to connect a phone/PDA to a PC for syncing these days anyhow. My biggest gripe is the Windows Mobile browser is absolute garbage. The second biggest gripe is I don't like Verizon.

The Missing Sync seems to be the only solution if I want to continue using the WM5 phone, but it's not cheap for something I'll probably throw away when I get rid of the WM5 device. So should I get an iPhone, or try a blackberry or Symbian device? If I leave Verizon, there is a big cancellation fee. Hmmm...

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It's Christmas day and I'm creating a new blog. I don't get a lot of time to experiment with new web tools, so today is actually less busy than most.

I will periodically post thoughts and observations that connoisseurs of high-end electronics should find interesting. The non-so-well-disguised ulterior motive is, of course, to turn you on to something you must have so you will call us ready to spend some money.

Best regards,
Barry Newton